Advantages of a Standardized Format

Engineering and science professionals write several different kinds of laboratory reports.

The form, length, content and emphasis are determined by the purpose of the report and

the intended audience[s]. However, the structure of all reports is similar, and includes

sections that describe objectives, methods and procedure, results and conclusions. This is

a format that has evolved over time in practice, and, while there is no single perfect

format, there are several very good approaches that are similar to one another in most

respects. By using a standardized format, you can ensure that the final report is complete

and that readers who have different interests and needs can access the information they

seek from the report with a minimum of effort. The use of a standard format also cuts

down on the time required to write a report.

Use of Computer-based Word Processing

All laboratory reports for IIT courses must be prepared using computer-based word

processing. This is the standard practice today in most organizations. If you do not have

Time Required for Report Writing

The most frequent complaint from students about laboratory courses is based on the

Perception that an excessive amount of time is needed for the preparation of laboratory

Reports, and that the return on this investment of time (in terms of the GPA) is not

Proportional. In fact, however, students who are able to report on their laboratory work in
Clear, organized reports receive higher grades than those who cannot. While report

Writing can indeed be time-intensive, the time is well spent because it provides students

With the opportunity to develop or improve a skill that will be extremely valuable in their

Future careers.

A number of strategies can be deployed to lessen the time spent writing reports. Many

Frustrations and problems related to report writing can be minimized by proper planning.

It is essential that students schedule their weekly activities to allow enough time to write

Laboratory reports. The time required to complete a report varies for each individual. As

You become more proficient, the time required decreases. Additionally, using word

Processing and one standard format in all the laboratory courses will increase your

Writing efficiency. For longer reports, time is usually spent most efficiently by working on

A report in more than one session. A rough draft is written first and set aside. The rough

Draft is then reconsidered, edited and polished into the final version after one or more
Revisions. The final version must be proofread carefully before submission. You should

Allow time to write, edit, and proofread the reports before the final versions are printed.

You are on the path to becoming professionals whose successful careers will be based in

Part on how well you can communicate in writing. Start practicing now!

Intended Readership

As a student, you can expect that the grader will read your report in its entirety, but

Professionals know that only a few experts in their own field will read a complete

Report—and only if they continue to be impressed by the relevance of each individual part

Of it. Reports are typically read by a number of different people, with differing

Backgrounds, interests and needs. Some individuals might be interested in the details of

Method, analysis, and interpretation. Others might be interested in the significance of the

Results and the conclusions that are drawn from them. At yet another level, a manager

Who seeks specific information to make important decisions about a project might look at
Only a brief summary of the report, together with a set of conclusions and

Title page

The following information should appear on the title page:

• A brief but informative title that describes the report

• Your name

• Date(s) the experiment was performed

• Date the report was due

• Names of other group members who were present for the experiments

• Laboratory section number

• Name of the Teaching Assistant

2. Statement of Objective

State the objective(s) of the experiment concisely, in paragraph form. The laboratory

manual or instruction sheet will help here. The fact that experiments in laboratory courses

are being used to educate students is a secondary objective, and should not be stated in

the report. In other words, the objective written in your report should never be to

“familiarize students with the use of equipment.” Rather, the objective should state the

problem that your procedure and data attempts to answer. Some key verbs that you will

use in the objective might include “to investigate,” “to plot,” “to measure,” or “to

compare.” The section should inform the reader precisely why the project was

undertaken.

3. Theory

A concise description of the relevant theory should be provided when the theory is needed

to understand other parts of the report, such as the data analysis or discussion sections.

This section is sometimes combined with the introduction and background section, if this

results in a more readable report. The relevant equations should be introduced and all the
terms to be used in the report should be defined. Equations must be presented as parts of

complete sentences. You will find examples of this later in this guide.

4. Description of Experimental Setup / List of Equipment Used

Provide a neat, correct and clear schematic drawing of the experimental set-up, showing

all the interconnections and interrelationships. Include a short textual description that

refers to all parts of the schematic drawing. This section should have all the information

needed for a reader to duplicate the setup independently.

List all the equipment and materials used in the experiment. Include identifying marks

(usually serial numbers) of all equipment. This is a safeguard that allows you to trace

A GUIDE TO LABORATORY REPORT WRITING

YES: The equipment was set up before the experiment was begun.

NO: We calculated distance using the data from table 2.

YES: Distance was calculated using the data from table 2.

3. Objective

The “objective” of the lab is RARELY, IF EVER, to learn how to use a piece of

equipment (the exception is the oscilloscope experiment for Physics 221). Use action

verbs such as “investigate”, “determine”, “measure”, or “plot” in stating your objective.

4. Equations

Equations should be embedded in the text of report and formatted using the “Equation

Editor” tool on your word processor, as in the following example:

Using the results listed in Table 1, a percentage difference was calculated for each

set of readings taken by the two different instruments (the CMM and Vernier

Calipers). Equation 1 was used to calculate this percentage difference. It can be

written as:

100%
2

Equation 1

where:

E is the percentage difference;

m1 is the measurement by CMM;

m2 is the measurement by Vernier Calipers

and

∆m is the difference of the two instruments.

It is extremely important to define all variables used, although it is necessary to define a

variable only one time in the report (i.e., if m1 is defined in Equation 1, it is not

necessary to define it again in Equation 2). The equations should be numbered

5. Section Headings

Use separate headings for each section. The headings should be in bold type. The format

used for the headings should be consistent throughout the report. Allow space between